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Mug shot of Donald Trump

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On August 24, 2023, after being indicted on racketeering and related charges, Donald Trump, former president of the United States and current president-elect of the United States, voluntarily surrendered himself to authorities at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, where a mug shot of him was taken. In the photograph, Trump, wearing a blue suit with a white shirt and a red tie, glowers at the camera in front of a gray backdrop. His face is lit from the side and from above.[1] It is the first and thus far only police booking photograph of a U.S. president.[1][2][3] After its publishing, the mug shot was used on merchandise by Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, in Internet memes, and featured on various media reports worldwide.[4][5][6]

Mug shot of Donald Trump
Man wearing a dark blue suit, white shirt, and red tie. He stares into the camera lens from up close, with his chin tucked in, his lips pressed together, and his forehead furrowed. His eyes are bloodshot, with bags underneath. The light falls on his face from above to his left, with the right side of his face in deep shadow and his comb-over gleaming platinum blonde and sticking out on the left side. In the upper left corner of the image is the logo of the Fulton County sheriff's office, Patrick Labat.
Trump's booking photograph released by the Fulton County, Georgia sheriff's office
Completion dateAugust 24, 2023 (2023-08-24)
MediumPhotograph
SubjectDonald Trump
LocationAtlanta, Georgia, U.S.

Background

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On August 14, 2023, a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, indicted Trump on charges of election racketeering and related offenses, and issued an arrest warrant. The county's district attorney Fani Willis offered him the option to surrender voluntarily.[7] Shortly after 19:30 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), August 24, Trump turned himself in at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia and was booked, given inmate number P01135809, processed and released on bond.[8] At 20:05 EDT, a copy of the booking photograph without the Fulton County Jail watermark was posted on Twitter.[9] CNN released the official image at 21:27.[10]

At 21:38, Trump posted the photograph to X with the text "MUG SHOT - AUGUST 24, 2023, ELECTION INTERFERENCE, NEVER SURRENDER!" The post contained a link to a WinRed page soliciting contributions for his 2024 presidential campaign.[11][12] The post was the first instance of Trump's activity on Twitter since his account was reinstated in November 2022 by Elon Musk following his acquisition of the platform.[13]

Usage

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Fundraising

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Before Trump's arraignment in April 2023 in New York City, his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, said that any mug shot of Trump would "go down in history as the most famous mug shot ever to exist in America".[3] Ex-Trump spokesman Hogan Gidley joked that such a photograph would be the "most manly, most masculine, most handsome mug shot of all time".[14] No booking photograph was taken during the arraignment, and Trump's campaign website began selling T-shirts featuring a pretend mug shot.[15]

Ninety minutes after Trump's release from the Fulton County Jail on August 24, the Trump campaign began selling T-shirts, mugs, and other merchandise with his booking photograph.[16] On August 26, the campaign said it had raised $7.1 million since the release of the photo.[17] The Lincoln Project, sellers on Etsy, and others also began selling merchandise with the booking photo; the Trump campaign, which did not hold the copyright, threatened to sue any user who did not obtain their prior authorization.[18][19]

In December 2023, Trump launched a set of digital trading cards as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which he labeled the "Mugshot Edition". 100,000 digital cards were released at a price of $99 each. Customers who purchased 47 or more digital trading cards would receive one of 2,042 limited edition physical trading cards, 25 of which are hand-signed by Trump, along with a piece of the suit that he wore in the Fulton County Jail for the mugshot, and an invitation to dine with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. The first 200 customers who purchased at least 100 cards would receive a unique NFT, two tickets to a cocktail reception with Trump, a second physical card with pieces of Trump's suit and tie, and two additional commemorative cards.[20]

News coverage

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Many newspapers in the United States and other countries featured the mug shot "splashed across" or in articles on the front page of their print issues while others printed teasers with thumbnails of the booking photograph on the front page.[21][22] Other news outlets reported on the reporting.[23][24][25]

Fox News featured the mug shot in an article on an exclusive interview Trump gave them soon after his release from jail. They cited him as saying that "officials in Georgia 'insisted' on a mugshot" and that he "agreed to do that".[26]

Reactions

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The Associated Press called it "an American moment" and an "enduring image that will appear in history books long after Donald Trump is gone." They described the image as Trump glaring at the camera defiantly, as if he was "staring down a nemesis through the lens."[27] The Guardian's Chris McGreal referred to it as the defining mug shot of the decade, and one that defines modern U.S. politics. He noted, "Trump's hostility shines through as he turns his eyes up toward the camera above him and in his taut, downturned mouth [...] Dressed in a blue suit, white shirt and red tie, he makes no attempt to put on a smile like some of his co-defendants in their mugshots. The picture does not flatter but it does convey the message many of Trump's supporters want to hear—belligerence."[28]

The New York Times fashion critic Vanessa Friedman called the image "a mug shot for history that is unprecedented" and noted that "his face is lit from above by a blinding white flash that hits his ash blond hair like a spotlight. [...] He glowers out from beneath his brows, unsmiling, eyes rendered oddly bloodshot, brow furrowed, chin tucked in, as if he is about to head-butt the camera. The image is stark, shorn of the flags and fancy that have been Mr. Trump's preferred framings for photo ops at Mar-a-Lago or Trump Tower, or during his term in office, and that communicate power and the gilded glow of success." Friedman quoted historian Sean Wilentz as saying that, of the myriad of photos of Trump, it could be the most famous or notorious and serve as "the ultimate bookend to a political arc in the United States that began decades ago, with Richard Nixon's 'I am not a crook.'"[1]

CNN called the image "one of the most iconic images of anyone who served as commander in chief" and "stark in its simplicity in a way that must surely grate for an ex-reality star for whom image is everything".[2] The Independent observed that "the 45th president glowers straight into the camera, brow furrowed and sizable bushy eyebrows lowered as he faces his fate", adding "it is an undeniable fact that Trump's mug shot is both historically and culturally significant—and soon to be seen everywhere, forever."[29]

The Telegraph stated, "The 45th president is pictured striking a hostile pose, with his eyebrows contracted, lips pursed and a menacing scowl on his face. His head and the top of his shoulders are visible in what is likely to become a world-famous image."[30] Time commented, "His platinum blonde [sic] cotton candy wisp of hair shimmering in the harsh jailhouse lighting. His eyes locked in a hard stare. His mouth flattened in a grimace. Instead of smiling like some of his co-defendants, he appears to be scowling."[31] BBC News referred to the composition of the picture as a "photographer's nightmare."[32]

British film critic Robbie Collin likened Trump's expression to the "Kubrick stare", emblematic of several memorable characters of American filmmaker Stanley Kubrick's films.[33] In Internet memes and commentary, the booking photograph was also said to imitate character Vigo the Cruel's "menacing stare featured prominently in Ghostbusters II",[34] as well as the eponymous character's "blue steel" pose in the movie Zoolander.[34][35]

Columnist Maureen Dowd of The New York Times observed that "the Picture of Donald Trump should have been a 'foul parody,' a reflection of what the chancer has done with his life. It should have shown Trump's corroding soul rather than his truculent face. It should have revealed a man so cynical and depraved that he is willing to smash our nation’s soul—our democracy—and destroy faith in our institutions. All this simply to avoid being called a loser."[36] On August 27, art critic Jerry Saltz called the mug shot "the most famous photograph in the world" and that "[a]lready the man with the scowl is using his portrait as both a statement of defiance and a claim of persecution—a symbol as diabolically ingenious as the red MAGA hat."[37]

When asked by a journalist for his opinion of the photograph, President Joe Biden, Trump's successor and predecessor, quipped "handsome guy, wonderful guy".[38]

On February 23, 2024, Trump was criticized for comments during a campaign speech for saying his four criminal indictments and mug shot boosted his appeal among black voters and for comparing his legal jeopardy to historical anti-black discrimination,[39][40] stating that "when I did the mug shot in Atlanta, that mug shot is No. 1. You know who embraced it more than anyone else? The Black population."[41]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Friedman, Vanessa (August 25, 2023). "A Trump Mug Shot for History". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Collinson, Stephen (August 24, 2023). "Presidential mug shot of inmate No. P01135809 is stark in its simplicity". CNN. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Hartmann, Margaret; Prater, Nia (August 25, 2023). "All the Mug Shots of Donald Trump and His Alleged Co-Conspirators". New York Intelligencer. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  4. ^ Yang, Maya (August 25, 2023). "From mugshot to mugs and memes: Trump picture fuels internet frenzy". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  5. ^ Silberling, Amanda (August 25, 2023). "The mugshot that launched a thousand memes". TechCrunch. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  6. ^ Knolle, Sharon (August 25, 2023). "Trump's Mug Shot an Instant Phenomenon as Merch Hits Online Stores and Memes Overrun X". TheWrap. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023 – via Yahoo! Entertainment.
  7. ^ Brumbeck, Kate; Tucker, Eric (August 15, 2023). "Trump and 18 allies charged in Georgia election meddling as former president faces 4th criminal case". Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  8. ^ Pereira, Ivan; Barr, Luke (August 25, 2023). "Trump mug shot released by Fulton County Sheriff's Office". ABC News. Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  9. ^ @CFC_Weagle (August 25, 2023). "#TrumpMugShot AINT NO WAY" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 30, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ Edwards, Meridith (August 24, 2023). "Donald Trump's mug shot has been released". CNN. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  11. ^ Matza, Max; Epstein, Kayla (August 24, 2023). "Historic Trump mugshot released in Georgia arrest in election plot case". BBC News. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  12. ^ Trump, Donald [@realDonaldTrump] (August 24, 2023). "DONALDJTRUMP.COM" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023 – via Twitter.
  13. ^ Colvin, Jill (August 24, 2023). "Trump returns to X, the site formerly known as Twitter, shortly after surrendering in Georgia". AP News. Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  14. ^ Sforza, Lauren (April 4, 2023). "Ex-Trump aide jokes he'll have the 'most handsome mugshot of all time'". The Hill. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  15. ^ Wang, Amy B. (August 24, 2023). "Trump mug shot released after booking in Fulton County Jail". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  16. ^ Bella, Timothy (August 25, 2023). "Trump is selling his mug shot on shirts, koozies and bumper stickers". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  17. ^ Holmes, Kristen (August 26, 2023). "Trump campaign says it has raised $7.1 million since Atlanta mug shot". CNN. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  18. ^ Slattery, Gram; Layne, Nathan; Brittain, Blake (August 28, 2023). "Divided US embraces Trump mug-shot merchandise". Reuters. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  19. ^ Hartmann, Margaret (August 28, 2023). "Team Trump Threatens Fellow Peddlers of Unauthorized Mug-Shot Merch". Intelligencer. Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  20. ^ "Donald Trump Releases 'Mugshot Edition' Digital Trading Cards—Offers Pieces Of Suit From Fulton County Arrest". Forbes. December 12, 2023. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  21. ^ Murphy, Kate (August 25, 2023). "Trump's arrest and mug shot: Photos of how newspapers covered the historic event". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  22. ^ Moon, Jenna (August 25, 2023). "Trump's mug shot hits front pages around the world". Semafor. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  23. ^ "Newspaper headlines: Trump mugshot and families share Letby fears". BBC News. August 26, 2023. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  24. ^ "Le prime pagine di sabato 26 agosto 2023" [The front pages of Saturday, 26 August 2023]. Il Post (in Italian). August 26, 2023. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  25. ^ "Las portadas de los periódicos del viernes 26 de agosto" [The front pages of the Friday 26 August newspapers]. Europa Press. August 26, 2023. Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  26. ^ Singman, Brooke (August 24, 2023). "Trump says taking mugshot was 'not a comfortable feeling, especially when you've done nothing wrong'". Fox News. Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  27. ^ Cooper, Jonathan J. (August 25, 2023). "One image, one face, one American moment: The Donald Trump mug shot". AP News. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  28. ^ McGreal, Chris (August 24, 2023). "Belligerence and hostility: Trump's mugshot defines modern US politics". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  29. ^ Flynn, Sheila (August 25, 2023). "With one glowering mug shot, Trump joins a notorious album of (alleged) criminals". The Independent. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  30. ^ Sabur, Rozina; Bowman, Verity (August 24, 2023). "Donald Trump defiant in 'carefully staged' mugshot". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  31. ^ Bennett, Brian; Popli, Nik (August 25, 2023). "Here Is Trump's Mug Shot, the First Ever of a Former President". Time. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  32. ^ Wright, George; Honderich, Holly (August 24, 2023). "Smirk, don't smile: The art of a good mugshot". BBC News. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  33. ^ Collin, Robbie (August 25, 2023). "Why Trump's 'Kubrick Stare' mugshot is straight out of the horror film playbook". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023. (subscription required)
  34. ^ a b Brushard, Brian (August 25, 2023). "Trump Mug Shot Memes: Here Are The Most Popular Ones Flooding The Internet". Forbes. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  35. ^ Bauer-Reese, Jillian (August 25, 2023). "Opinion: Trump's mug shot is historic, but arrest images of ordinary people shouldn't be published". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  36. ^ Dowd, Maureen (August 26, 2023). "Catch the Smug Mug on That Thug!". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  37. ^ Saltz, Jerry (August 27, 2023). "The Art of the Mug Shot". Intelligencer. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  38. ^ Gardner, Akayla (August 25, 2023). "'Handsome Guy,' Biden Quips About Trump Mug Shot". BNN Bloomberg. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  39. ^ Gold, Michael (February 24, 2024). "Trump Says Indictments, and His Mug Shot, Are Helping Him With Black Voters". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  40. ^ Egwuonwu, Nnamdi; Terkel, Amanda (February 24, 2024). "Trump says 'the Black people' like him because he's been 'discriminated against' in the legal system". NBC News. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  41. ^ Brown, Matt (February 24, 2024). "Trump says his criminal indictments boosted his appeal to Black voters". Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
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